Latch for automobile fender shrouds



Oct. l5, 1935. A. cLAulz-MAN'mE A 'LILCH FR AUTOMOBILE FENDER SHROUDS vFiled oct. 1, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet. Il

INVENTOR HR r1-IUE BLAUE-Mamma.

ATTORNEY Oct. 15, 1935. A. c| AUD-MANTL.E

LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE FENDER SHROUDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Ooi. l, 1934 E. L T N nn RM mm Mm Il H m nu.

BY H0.; Mv

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES LATCH FOR AUTOMOBILE FENDER SHROUDS Arthur Claud-Mantle, Trumbull, Conn., assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application October 1,

9 Claims.

'Ihe present invention relates to an improved latch for an automobile fender shroud, and has for an object to provide a latch which will securely hold the shroud against vibration and looseness, and which may be actuated with facility to both secure and release the shroud. It is particularly proposed to provide a latch in which the latching bolt has both rectilinear and swingin g movement, to the end that the latch will engage the shroud to exert both lifting pressure to hold the shroud up against the fender and lateral drawing pressure to pull the fender toward the shroud, thus not only tightly holding the shroud in place, but providing a substantial reinforcing structure for the fender. Another objectis to provide a latch in which the usual spring means employed in latches is dispensed with, the tension for holding the latch in operative position being supplied by pressure exerted by the drawing togetherof the edges of the shroud and fender. A further object is to provide, in one embodiment of the invention, remote control actuating means for the latch which may be disposed at any desired point on the shroud.

With the above and other objects in view, embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, and these embodiments will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and the invention will be nally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an outside elevation of the contiguous portions of the fender and shroud provided with the latch, according to an exemplary embodiment of my invention, and in which the actuating means is at a remote point from the casing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, reduced, showing the entire fender and shroud.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an inner side elevation, with a portion of the cover plate broken away, the full lines showing the latching or projected position, and the dot-and-dash lines showing the released positions.

Fig. 5 is a forward edge view of the latch, a portion of the edge flange of the shroud being broken away.

Fig. 6 is an inner side elevation of a modiiied form of latch, according to my invention, and in which the actuating means is mounted in the latch casing.

' Fig. '7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line I--l of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a forward edge view of the latch, a

1934, Serial No. 746,286

portion of the edge ange of the shroud being broken away.

Fig.` 9 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the'line 9-9 of Fig. 6. l

Fig. 10 is an inner side elevation of the latch, 6 separated from the shroud and with the cover plate being removed, the full lines showing the latching or projected position, and the dot-anddash lines showing the released or retracted position. l0

Similar reference characters indicate correspending parts throughout the several gures oi the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the latch, according to the exemplary illustrated embodiment of l5 the invention, shown in Figs. 1 to 5, comprises a casing consisting of a mounting plate I0, having a right angularly bent forward wall iiange II and a right angularly bent rear wall flange I2, the upper edge of the mounting plate being in- 20 clined upwardly from the front to the rear. The mounting plate is secured to the edge flange I3 of the shroud I4 by means of screws I5-I5 engaged through inwardly flanged holes Iii-I6 in the shroud flange I3 and screwed into nuts Il-I'I 25 secured in holes I8-I8 in the forward wall flange II, these nuts being secured by swedging, as at I9-I9, and being flatted at opposed sides to engage the inner surfaces of the casing to prevent turning. At the lower edge of the plate Ill there 30 is provided-a downwardly extending portion 20 'having a right angular flange 2I at its lower end which is secured to the shroud ange I I by a bolt 22 engaging a nut 23 secured to the flange 22 by swedging. The rear wall iiange I2 extends to the 35 base of the portion 20 to reinforce it. I The casing is completed by means of a cover plate 24 having right angularly bent-flanges 25 and 26 at its respective upper and lower edges, and which are secured to the plate I0 by 21 engaged through slots 28 in the plate I0. The angelZ of the plate I0 is secured to the lower plate by means of bent over lugs 29 provided thereon and engaged through slots 30 in the cover plate. 45

An elongated bolt slot 3| is provided in the for-l ward wall ange II, and a lip 32 provided in the cover plate is engaged therein against one edge, this lip being inwardly oise't from thecover plate by inwardly embossing the latter, as at 33. The cover plate is outwardly embossed as at 34-34, above and below the inwardly embossed portion 33, to provide pockets for the nuts I'I-I'I. In the rear wall there is provided a slot 35 for the actuating bar, hereinafter more fully referred to,

means of bent over lugs 40 the upper and lower ends of this slot having inwardly bent bearing anges 36-36 for engaging the upper and lower edges of said bar.

The latch bolt 31 has its forward end engaged in the slot 3 I, and in which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The bolt is provided at its intermediate portion with a slot 38 engaged by a roller 39 mounted upon a stud 40 secured between the mounting plate I8 and cover plate 24 of the casing, the stud being shouldered at its ends and engaged in holes 4I and 42 respectively provided in the plates I0 and 24. The lower edge of the bolt is provided with a straight edge portion 43, parallel to the rectilinear movement of the bolt, and engaged by a guide roller 44 mounted on a stud 45 secured between the plates I0 and 24 in a similar manner to the stud 40; In the retracted operative position of the bolt the roller 39 is at the forward end of the slot 38 andthe rearward edge of the bolt is rearwardly spaced from the roller 44. In the rectilinearly projected and inwardly swung positions the roller 39 is at the rearward end of the slot 38, and the rearward edge of the bolt, which is arcuately shaped in concentric relation to the rearwai'd end of the slot 38, as at 46, rolls upon the roller x44 as the Abolt is swlmg.

The actuating bar 41 .extending through the slot 35 is connected to the bolt by means of a pair 'of link members 48-48, these link members being connected to the bar by a pivot stud 49 and to the bolt by a pivot stud 58, the ends of these studs projecting beyond the outer surfaces of the link members and being guided in grooves 5I and 52, respectively provided in the plates I0 and 24 and suitably shaped to guide the movements of the studs as the bolt is operated. The stud 50 is connected to the bolt at a point rearwardly of and below the slot 38. A hook portion 53 is provided at the fender engaging end of the bolt.

The manually operable actuating means for operating the latch is located at a remote point therefrom, being shown as at the center of the shroud near its lower edge. At this central portion the shroud is provided with an ornamental member 54 having a hole 55 therein in which a cup 56 is set, the shroud being apertured at 51 in V register with an aperture 58 in thecup. A stud 59 having a hexagonal head 60 .is engaged in the apertures 51 and 58, and is secured to a crankg lever 6I, the stud being screw-threaded at its inner end and provided 'with opposed ats 62-62 and being engaged in a correspondingly shaped hole 63 inthe crank lever, to which it is xedly secured by a nut 64 screwed upon the stud. A washer 65 is interposed between the crank lever and the inner surface of the shroud. y

The bar 41 is pivotally connected at 66 to the crank-lever at a point rearwardly of the axis of the stud 59, and at a point forwardly of said axis the lever is provided with a right angularly bent ange 61 which abnts the lower edge of the bar 41 in the operative position,.the pivotal connection 66 in this operative position being below a line intersecting the axes of the stud 49 and the axis of the stud 59, so that forward pull on the bar exerts a pull on the crank lever below its dead The bar 41 in the rubber facing 69 through which the bolt moves, and a slot 14 is provided in the-flange 18 of the fender, the fender flange being preferably reinforced at its inner side by a slotted metal plate 15. l 5

As shown in Fig. 2 the shroud is provided at4 the opposite side from the latch with a xed hook 16, which in mounting the shroud is first engaged in a slot 11 in the edge of the fender whereupon the other end of the shroud is lifted up about the 10 hook 16 as a fulcrum to bring the latch into relation with the fender slot 14. f

The dot-and-dash lines A, Fig. 4, indicate the inoperative or retracted position of the latch bolt, the arcuate edge portion 46 of the bolt engaging l5 the roller 44 and holding the bolt with the roller 39 engaged at the rearward end of the slot 38, the end of the bolt being swung upwardly in the slot 3 I. In order to bring the latch tooperative position the stud 59 and crank lever 68 are turned 20 by engaging a suitable wrench or tool with the hexagonal head 60 causing the bar 41 to be retracted and through the link connections 48-48 swinging the bolt downwardly to the horizontalV position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines B. 25 As long as the arcuate portion 46 remains in conn tact with the roller 44 the bolt swings about the axis of the roller 39 without any rectilinear movement relatively thereto. -During this movement the bolt hook 53 enters the fender slot 14 and `30 presses the shroud upwardly as the bolt engages the lower end of the slot and continues its swinging movement. As the bolt assumes a horizontal position, and the lower edge surface 43 comes into contact with the roller 42, the bolt is drawn 35 inwardly to the full lineposition, the hooked end 53 tightly drawing the fender toward the shroud and compressing the rubber facing 69. During this movement the pivot 66 passes over the dead center along the line intersecting the axis of the stud 49 and 59, the pull exerted on the bar 41 by the pressure of the compressed rubber facing 58 causing the crank lever to snap intolits operative position with the flange 61 abutting the lower edge of the bar.. and in which position the parts are locked. To disengage the catch the stud 58 and crank lever 6I are turned in the opposite direction, the pressure being released as the pivot 66 passes over the dead'center. The bolt first moves outwardly to the position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines B, and then swings upwardly to the position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines A to clear the-fender slot..

In Figs. 6 to 10 I have shown a modified form of the invention in which the actuating meansiswi Y mounted in the latch casing. The casing is substantially similar in construction and mounting to that of the first embodiment, its proportions being somewhat dierent, however, to accommodate the actuating means. lar and is mounted in relation to the rollers 39 and 44 in the same manner. These parts are therefore given the same reference characters as the first embodiment.

The actuating means consists of a hub member l 15 having a square or other suitable non-'circular passage 11 therethrough, and upon which there is secured a crank plate 18, the hub being provided for this purpose with milled slots 19 in its periphery in which lugs 88 on the 4plate engage. 10 'The ends of the hub are shouldered and are ro- The bolt is also simi- 1' if erably beveled at its end, as at 84 to facilitate the engagement of a suitable operating tool therein. The inner end of the bolt 31 is connected to the crank plate by means of links 85--85 pivotally connected to the bolt by a stud 86 and pivotally connected to the crank plate by a stud 81, the ends of these studs projecting beyond the links and being engaged in guide grooves 88 and 89 respectively provided in the casing plates I0 and 24, and which are shaped to guide their movements as the latch is actuated.

A cross-pin 90 is secured between the crossplates I0 and 24 above the bolt to prevent it from being forced upwardly during its rectilinear movements, and a similar cross-pin 9| is providedl in relation to the crank plate 18 and against which it abuts in its operative position, asindicated in full lines in Fig. 10.

'I'he pivot 81, it will be noted, is beyond the dead center of the line intersecting the pivot 86 and the axis of the hub 16, so that the forward pressure exerted on the bolt by compression of the rubber facing exerts pressure beyond dead center to lock the parts in position. To disengage the catch the crank plate is turned in clock-wise direction from the full line position shown in Fig. 10 the pressure being released as the pivot 81 passes over the dead center, the bolt moving first rectilinearly to the position indicated by the dotand-dash lines B, and then being swung to the retracted position indicated by the dot-and-dash lines A. To engage the catch the crank plate is turned in counter-clockwise direction, as will be obvious.

I have illustrated and described preferred and satisfactory embodiments of my invention but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

l. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear movement and swinging movement at one end of said rectilinear movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion parallel to said rectilinear movement and a portion which at said one end of rectilinear movement is concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carried by said casing and adapted to successively engage said parallel and concentric portions of said cam surface during said rectilinear and swinging movements, a rotatable acuating member, and means connected between said actuating member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member.

2. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a rotatable actuating member remote from said casing, a connecting member between said actuating member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member.

3. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a rotatable actuating member remote from said casing, a connecting bar pivotally connected at one end to said actuating member and slidably engaged at its other end with said casing, and link means pivotally connected between said bar and said bolt, said bar and link means adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member. 5

4. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion par- 10 allel to said rectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carriedby said casing and engaging said cam surface, a rotatable actuating member, and means connected .between said actuating 15 member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member, outward pull on said bolt adapted to exert pull on said actuating means at a point in its bolt actuating movement 20 past the dead center of the actuating means to retain it against reverse movement.

5. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mount.l ing for said bolt with respect to which it is adapt- 25 ed to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion parallel to said rectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carried by said casing and engaging said cam surface, a rotatable actuating member,

and means connected between said actuating member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member, outward pull on said bolt adapted to exert pull on said actuating means at a point in its bolt actuating movement past the dead center of the actuating means to retain it against reverse movement, and stop means for limiting the movement of said actuating member through said pull exerted thereon.

6. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, 45 a cam surface on4 said bolt including a portion parallel to said rectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means' carried by said casing and engaging said cam surface, a rotatable actuating 50 member remote from said casing, a connecting member between said actuating member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member.

7. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion 80 parallel to said rectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carried by said casing and engaging said cam surface, a rotatable actuating member remote from said casing, and a connecting bar pivotally connected at one end to said actuating member and slidably engaged 'at its other end with said casing, and link means pivotally connected between said bar and said bolt, said bar and link means adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member.

8. In a latch of the character described, a casing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to 'U5 have rectilinear and swinging movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion parallel t0 said rectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carried by said casing and engaging 4said cam surface, a rotatable actuating member remote from said casing, and a connecting bar pivotally connected at one end to said actuating member land slidably engaged at its other end with said casing, and link means pivotally connected between said bar and said bolt, said bar and link means adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuating of 1 said actuating member, outward pull on said bolt adapted to exert pull on said actuating means at a point in its bolt actuating movement past the dead center of the actuating means to retain it ing, a latch bolt in said casing, a pivotal mounting for said bolt with respect to which it is adapted to have rectilinear and swinging movement, a cam surface on said bolt including a portion parallel to said vrectilinear movement and a portion concentric to the axis of said swinging movement, guide means carried by said casing, and engaging said cam surface, a rotatable actuating member carried by said casing, and means connected between said actuating member and said bolt adapted to impart sliding and swinging movement to said bolt upon actuation of said actuating member, outward pull on said bolt adapted to exert pull on said actuating means at a point in its bolt actuating movement past the dead center of the actuating means to retain it against' reverse movement.

ARTHUR CLAUD-MANTLE 

